Zipper actuating device for hookless fasteners



" Nov. 28, 1950 I ZIPPER ACTUATING DEVICE FOR HOOKLESS FASTENERS Filed Oct. 14, 1947 INVENTOR. EDA/42D a. 62.40:

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Patented Nov. 28, 1950 ZIPPER ACTUATIN G DEVICE FOR HOOKLESS FASTENERS Edward J. Clark, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor to Carmelita M. Clark, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application October 14, 1947, Serial No; 779,666

This invention relates to utility devices and more especially to an actuating device for hookless fasteners. V

Hookless fasteners have a wide field of usefulness on. clothing and particularly on women's garments and apparel. Such fasteners are frequently placed at the back or side portion of a garment where accessibility for manipulation is often awkward, inconvenient or difficult. The present invention is directed to a device for actuating fasteners so placed and is a device whereby a hookless fastener may easily and conveniently be operated. 1

It is therefore a general object of my invention to provide a simple, practical and inexpen-. sivedevice for actuating hookless fasteners especially on garments. A more specific object of the invention is to provide a novel device incorporating a hook on a cord or ribbon, the hook being detachably connected to the slider or finger piece of the fastener and moved by a pull on the cord or ribbon which 'may be of any desired length.

Another object of the invention is to provide improvements in an actuating device for hookless fasteners incorporating a hook and cord for engaging the finger piece or slider of a hookless fastener to move the slider to either a'closing or opening position.

With these and other objects in view, th invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of the device whereby the objects contemplated are at-' tained, as hereinafter set forth, pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings. 7 l

In the drawings:

Figure l is a view illustrating a device incorporating my invention in position for actuating this fastener onagarment.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing the same in the second position.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of an actuating device for hookle'ss fasteners embodying my invention. g

Referring more particularly to the drawings I show a plate element In which maybe made of any suitable material, such as metal, plastic or the equivalent, and having a hook portion H and a slot l2. The hook portion may be formed with a full return bend, as illustrated, terminating in a tangential plane substantially parallelto the plane of the plate.

A flexible and pliable cord or strap I3 has an end portion I 4 which is extended through slot 4 Claims. (01. 294-1) 12 and forms a flap I! which is secured to the strap ll as by a clip it of any su'itabletype. The strap I3 is preferably smooth surfaced as shown and may comprise a cord, string or ribbon, or the equivalent, and the clip I6, is illustrative of any form of securing means which may include a clamp, rivet, stitching or ma comprise cementitious means of any well-known variety. The strap should be of length sufficient to extend from the waist to the shoulder of an average sized person, although an exact dimensionis not essential, the necessary feature being a length to conveniently reach thefree end of the strap .when th hook is engaged with the fastener element at the persons back either in the general region of the waist or of the neck.

Strap It may have a handle element l'l secured at its other end l8 as by being extended through an aperture ill in thehandle and suitably secured at 20 in a manner similar to the securing of end portion ll. Handle I! may have a cut-out portion 2| of any size or shape in which a thumb or a finger may be placed when manipulating the device or to serve for suspending the article on a hook when notinuse.

In Figures 1 and 2 I show a garment, such as a dress 22, meeting edge portions 23 which form an opening 24, vided with stringers unit having a slider device 21 for engaging and disengaging the hooks of the stringers. The slider 21 is provided with a finger piece 28 which is pivoted thereto at 29 so that the finger piece may beswung upwardly for movement of the slider 21 to engage the hooks of stringers 28 and swung downwardly to move the slider downward- 1y for a disengagement of the hooks of the string-' ers.

Figure 1 shows my invention as applied to a garments such as a-dress, the stringers of hookless fasteners extending along the back between the waist'and the neckand the figure shows the actuating device. of my invention secured to-the finger piece 28 of the fastening device, the strap being extended over one shoulder of the person wearing the garment. A pull on the hand piece [1 and strap I; will cause the slider 21 to be moved upwardly to interengage the fasteners of the stringers and close the opening 24.

Figure 2 shows the'hook l0 engaging the finger piece 28 in reversed position fora downward movement of the slider starting at the neck of the garment, the strap 13 being passed under the arm to facilitate such movement. Obviously, also, the strap or handle may be grasped in the the edge portions 23 being pro- 26 of a hookless fastener 3 region of the waist of the user, and pulled straight down the back. v

While the invention is illustrated and shown in connection with a garment such as a dress, it will be understood that it may be applied to any article of clothing or any article employing hookless fasteners located at any place that is not readily or conveniently accessible.

While I have herein shown and described my invention in what I have conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of my invention, which is not to be limited to the details disclosed herein but is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent devices.

Having herein described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A device for manipulating a slide fastener in which there is an element having an eyelet comprising: a rigid hook member adapted to engage said eyelet, and a smooth surfaced flexible and pliable strap attached to said hook member and of a length sufllcient to extend approximately from the waist to the shoulder of an average sized person, whereby the user may manipulate a slide fastener up or down at the back of a garment worn by the user without having to maintain manually a grasp on the fastener element, by engaging said hook member in said eyelet and drawing said strap upwardly to raise the fastener element or downwardly to lower the fastener element.

2. A device for manipulating a slide fastener in which there is an element having an eyelet comprisingr a rigid hook member adapted to engage said eyelet, said hook member comprising a relatively wide flat plate section and a relatively narrow hook end with a return bend, and flexible and pliable i'lat strap attached to the plate section of said hook member and of a length sufflcient to extend approximately from the waist to the shoulder of an average sized person, whereby the user may manipulate a slide fastener up or down at the back of a garment worn by the user without having to maintain manually a grasp on the fastener element, by engaging said hook end in said eyelet anddrawing said strap upwardly toraise the fastener element or downwardly to lower the fastener element.

3. A device for manipulating a slide fastener in 4 which there is an element having an eyelet comprising: a rigid hook member adapted to engage said eyelet, said hook member comprising a relatively wide flat plate section and a relatively narrow hook end with a return bend, a flexible and pliable flat strap attached to the plate section of said hook member and of a length sumcient to extend approximately from the waist to the shoulder of an average sized person, and a rigid flat handle formed with a cut-out for thumb or finger insertion attached to said strap at the end opposite the attachment of said hook member, whereby the user may manipulate a slide fastener up or down at the back of a garment worn by the user said eyelet, said hook member comprising a relativel wide flat plate section and a relatively narrow hook end with a return bend, terminating in a tangential plane substantially parallel to the plane of the plate section, and a flexible and pliable flat strap attached to the plate section of said hook member and of a length sufllcient to extend approximately from the waist to the shoulder of an average sized person, whereby the user may -manipulate a slide fastener up or down at the back of a garment worn by the user without having to maintain manually a grasp on the fastener element, by engaging said hook end in said eyelet and drawing said strap upwardly to raise the fastener element or downwardly to lower the fastener element. A

EDWARD J. CLARK.

REFERENCES .CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,216,469 Fischer Oct. 1, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 592,005 Germany Jan. 14, 1932 

